Monday, August 29, 2011

From around 1960, here are Big Otis and Yogi Bear hawking Kellogg's OKs cereal.Shortly thereafter, the big Scotsman was replaced as spokesman (and the model on the front of the cereal box) by Jellystone Park's most famous resident (sorry, Boo-Boo). Kellogg's answer to Cheerios was not a big seller and by 1962, this cereal was phased out.

From 1929, here's "Big News" from Pathe. This early talkie stars Robert Armstrong (of future "King Kong" fame) and Carole (spelled on the credits as "Carol") Lombard. In this drama, Bob and Carole play husband and wife, with her threatening divorce unless he devotes more time to their marriage. In reality, the husband is an undercover detective busy investigating a dope ring led by a crook who has friends in high places. This picture, based upon the stage play of the same name by George S. Brooks, with adaptation and dialogue by Jack Jungmeyer and Walter DeLeon, was produced for the screen by Ralph Block and directed by Gregory La Cava.

From 1965, here's the commercial introducing two new Quaker Oats cereals, Quisp, the cereal from Outer Space, and Quake, the cereal from Inner Space. The animation was produced by Jay Ward's cartoon studio.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Jerry Lieber, who was the lyricist of one of the all-time legendary rock and roll songwriting teams, passed away on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from cardiopulmonary failure at age 78.

Together with Mike Stoller, Mr. Lieber wrote such songs as "Hound Dog" (originally a rhythm and blues hit for Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, better remembered as one of Elvis Presley's best remembered recordings), "Jailhouse Rock" (another of Mr. Presley's greatest hits and the title song of the best movie Elvis ever appeared in), "Searchin'," "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown" (all recorded by the Coasters), "There Goes My Baby" (the Drifters), and "Stand By Me" (Ben E. King).

Jerry and Mike were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later.

In this clip from a 1957 ABC Network telecast of Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes and New Talent, here are Jerry Burke, Larry Hooper, and Big Tiny Little on triplet pianos, performing "The One I Love Belongs To Someone Else." This was Lawrence's Monday night ABC show that was sponsored by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of Chrysler Corporation.

Here are Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales starring in the 1966 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon, "Daffy's Diner." In this one, diner-owner Daffy tries to sell a mouseburger to one notoriously hungry hombre of a gato, with disastrous results. With story by Michael O'Connor, music score by Walter Greene, animation by Manny Perez, Warren Batchelder, Ted Bonnicksen, Art Leonardi, Don Williams, Bob Mats, and Norm McCabe, layouts by Dick Ung, backgrounds by Tom O'Loughlin, editing by Lee Gunther, and voice characterizations by the legendary Mel Blanc, this cartoon was produced by David H. Depatie and Friz Freleng and directed by Robert McKimson.

From 1937, here's Tex Ritter, along with his horse White Flash, starring in the Grand National picture "Trouble In Texas." While Tex sings "Down the Colorado Trail," Rita Cansino (who would soon become better known as Rita Hayworth), as a government agent, investigates as series of mysterious rodeo deaths. As the movie progresses, Tex is on the hunt for the gang that rubbed out his brother. This picture, with screen play by Robert Emmett, was produced by Edward L. Alperson, supervised by Lindsley Parsons, and directed by Robert North Bradbury.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Keon Raymond intercepted a pass in his own end zone and ran it back 117 yards for a touchdown on Friday night as the Calgary Stampeders (5-2) defeated the sagging Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-6) 45-35 in Canadian Football League action.

Quarterback Aaron Garcia 28 of 42 passes for 402 yards and eight touchdowns (with no interceptions), the last traveling to wide receiver Jeron Harvey as time expired on Friday night, to lift the Jacksonville Sharks to a 73-70 win over the Arizona Rattlers to win ArenaBowl XXIV and the Arena Football League championship.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Country and Western singer and musician Billy Grammer, best remembered for his 1958 hit, "Gotta Travel On," passed away on Wednesday morning at a hospital in his native Benton, Illinois at age 85 following a long illnets.

Monday, August 08, 2011

40 year-old quarterback Aaron Garcia threw for 309 yards and eight touchdowns on Monday night as the Jacksonville Sharks defeated the visiting Georgia Force 64-55 to win the Arena Football League's American Conference championship. The Sharks will travel to Phoenix to face the Arizona Rattlers in Friday's title game, ArenaBowl XXIV.

Here's the March 4, 1963 telecast of The Andy Griffith Show, in which Opie, fed up with his history homework assignment, leads his friends in a revolt against their teacher. Originally aired over the CBS Network.

Here's a kinescope of an NBC Network special marking the 10th anniversary of the formal launching of television by the network as a public service at the 1939 New York World's Fair. This telecast, hosted by Ben Grauer, contains kinescoped highlights from three 1948 events, including that year's presidential election returns. Joining Ben on this April 30, 1949 telecast over WNBT (now WNBC) are Earl Wrightson, Kyle MacDonnell, and the Three Flames.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Quarterback Nick Davila threw for 283 yards and seven touchdowns Saturday night as the Arizona Rattlers defeated the visiting Chicago Rush 54-48 to win the National Conference championship and advance to the Arena Football League championship game (ArenaBowl XXIV) where they will host the winner of Monday's Georgia-Jacksonville American Conference final.

Friday, August 05, 2011

Slotback Geroy Simon caught seven passes Friday night for 137 yards, including a 63-yarder for a touchdown as the previously winless British Columbia Lions defeated the visiting and sagging Saskatchewan Roughriders 24-11 in Canadian Football League action, with both teams now sporting 1-5 records.

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Charles "Bubba" Smith, an outstanding defensive tackle who played his college football at Michigan State before embarking on a great NFL career with the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers, before becoming a commercial spokesman for Miller Lite Beer, then playing the role of officer Moses Hightower in six Police Academy movies, was found on Wednesday having assumed room temperature at his Baldwin Hills, California home at age 66.

Bubba played five years with the Baltimore Colts, playing in two Super Bowls (the upset loss to the New York Jets in SB III and their victory over the Dallas Cowboys two years later). He played two years each with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers before a knee injury ended his career in 1976.

His brother Toby, who played at Southern California and in the NFL, later became Bubba's agent. He passed away at age 50 in 1999.

Here's Bubba, appearing in a 1977 commercial for Miller Lite, extolling the virtues of the product, as well as the easy-opening can.

Ironically, he did not drink, and a number of years later, walked away from his lucrative contract, out of concern that the commercials may have encouraged alcohol overconsumption.

From Republic Pictures in 1937, here's Johnny Mack Brown starring in "A Lawman Is Born." In this one, a wanted outlaw puts away his guns and ends up working in a general store. When the Sheriff is killed, someone wants this outlaw to take the newly-vacated job. He staps on his guns again, only to see someone expose him as a wanted outlaw. Iris Meredith, Warner Richmond, Mary MacLaren, Dick Curtis, and Al St. John join Johnny in the cast. With original story by Harry F. Olmstead and screenplay and adaptation by George H. Plympton (best remembered for providing screenplays for numerous theatrical serials), this film was produced by A.W. Hackel and directed by Sam Newfield.